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Veggie Chic

12 tips for eating more veggies

by Jul on October 16th, 2007

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When I wrote my recent post about eating more fruit, Simon asked me if I had any tips for eating more veggies, too. He specified that he’s not a big fan of cooking on a daily basis due to the time, effort, and clean-up involved (and the fact that he’s usually cooking for one), so I’ve tried to fashion these tips with that in mind. Hope some of them prove useful!

  1. Create a salad habit. Start each meal with a salad. By eating the veggies first, you’ll be sure to get them in before you’re full.
  2. Eat ‘em like apples. Some veggies taste so good raw that they can be eaten like fruit. I love biting into a high-quality tomato or bell pepper. Experiment to see what delights your taste buds.
  3. Whip up some gazpacho: roughly chop some tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, garlic, and bell pepper and toss them in the blender with some fresh herbs, cumin, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. No cooking required!
  4. Fill up the freezer. Frozen veggies are better than no veggies, and it’s a great way to keep them on hand without worrying about spoilage.
  5. Top pasta with tomato-based sauces instead of cream or cheese sauces. Better yet, “beef up” the tomato sauce by first sauteeing some onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, spinach, or other veggies and then add the tomato puree and some herbs.
  6. Veg up your sandwiches - lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced red onions, roasted red peppers, avocado slices… all delicious sandwich enhancers.
  7. I haven’t tried this myself yet, but you could make-your-own drinking veggies .
  8. Crudités (fancy French word for “chopped up raw veggies”) usually feature prominently at parties, but what about in your lunch box? If you need the extra flavor enhancement, pack a little bit of your favorite salad dressing or some hummus or tzatziki for a dip.
  9. There’s no shame in buying pre-chopped. Many grocery stores offer a wide variety of pre-chopped, bagged veggies for the consumer-on-the-go. Sure, slicing them yourself is better for freshness, but pre-chopped veggies are better than no veggies.
  10. Cook for a week at a time. In the winter especially, I love making a giant pot of soup loaded with fresh veggies. I then refrigerate and freeze the additional portions for vitamin-packed vegetable goodness for many nights to come. This approach can work with stir-fry, sauces, and almost any other veggie dishes you can cook up.
  11. Learn some simple, delicious new ways to prepare veggies. Sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil is heavenly and takes minutes. Roasting veggies can be pretty easy, too - just prep them (a minute or two), toss them into a hot oven, and come back when they’re done. You’ll be a huge fan when you taste the intense flavor of a well-roasted veggie.
  12. Consider investing a little extra time revamping your diet every day for a month (or two weeks, or however long you’re willing to try). Learn to prepare new veggie dishes, try new vegetables, google new recipes, take a cooking class, read up on what’s in season, visit a farmer’s market, etc. I know it’s difficult to find time for such adventures, but consider it an investment in your health. The things you learn during this month will help shape your future eating habits, and hopefully make them healthier. What you put in your body on a daily basis is important for keeping it healthy. Doesn’t that make it a good priority?
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POSTED IN: Cooking, Food, Veg Health and Science, Vegetables

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